The Alaska State Legislature is the bicameral legislative body that makes state law and sets the budget for Alaska. Its Senate and House of Representatives meet in Juneau to decide the state budget, oil and gas policy, school funding and the Permanent Fund Dividend.
Photo by Bernt Rostad, via Flickr · Photo source · CC BY 2.0
akleg.gov ↗120 4th St, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
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Thursday, May 21
Alaska Senate passes bill letting pharmacists treat minor illnesses without a doctor's call
Alaska Senate passed bill letting pharmacists treat strep throat, bladder infections, and manage diabetes without doctor approval first. • Pharmacists cannot prescribe opioids or high-risk drugs but can give naloxone. • Rural areas and emergencies benefit most, with pharmacist visits costing $277 less than clinic visits.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska House raises unemployment benefits, expands telehealth coverage
Alaska House raised maximum weekly unemployment benefits from $370 to $470, first increase since 2009. • Expanded telehealth coverage and raised disability pay for firefighters and police from 40 percent to 75 percent. • Updated insurance laws to clarify rebates and ban misleading advertising.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska House passes five healthcare licensure compacts in single bill
Alaska House unanimously approved five healthcare licensure compacts for physicians, physician assistants, EMS personnel, psychologists, and social workers to help the state compete for federal rural health funding.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
House advances complex care homes for behavioral health patients
Alaska House unanimously approved HB 73 to create new residential homes for people with behavioral health conditions like schizophrenia. • New license category takes effect July 1, 2027, giving the Department of Health time to set service standards and payment rates. • Bill addresses people who cannot access existing group homes or assisted living facilities.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
House moves to close property tax overpayment loophole
Alaska House voted to end a loophole that let taxpayers deliberately overpay property taxes to collect 8 percent interest refunds, passing House Bill 13 by 32-7.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Wednesday, May 20
Alaska Senate passes special education funding and Palmer judge bills
Alaska Senate unanimously passed bill raising special education funding by 16 percent per student. • Senate also unanimously approved adding a fifth Superior Court judge in Palmer to cut case backlogs from 680 to 540 cases per judge.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
House votes to eliminate tax filing discounts worth $500,000 annually
Alaska House voted to eliminate four tax discounts worth $500,000 yearly, including a cigarette stamp break that persisted two decades after the equipment it subsidized was paid off.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska House passes campaign contribution limits that could take effect during 2026 election
Alaska House passed a bill to restore campaign donation limits of 2,000 dollars per donor per candidate. • The bill takes effect 90 days after the governor acts, likely before November 2026 election. • Governor can sign, veto, or do nothing. Inaction lets the bill become law. • Opponents say it restricts speech and will likely face lawsuit.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska House passes Native corporation reinstatement bill after Senate changes
Alaska House voted 36-3 to accept Senate changes to HB 126, allowing involuntarily dissolved Native corporations to reinstate as the same legal entity rather than transfer assets to a new corporation.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska House passes bill creating Alaska-Ireland Trade Commission
Alaska House voted 38-0 Wednesday to pass HB 278, creating a nine-member Alaska-Ireland Trade Commission to support economic and cultural ties between the two regions.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska House passes education package with teacher loan repayment, energy relief
Alaska House passed education bill with teacher loan repayment up to $5,000 yearly for hard-to-fill roles like special education and STEM. • School districts get energy cost reimbursement based on three-year heating and fuel averages. • Local school contribution growth capped at 4% annually to ease property tax pressure. • Bill heads to governor after final Senate approval on last day of session.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Alaska Passes Age of Consent Bill After Weeks-Long Senate Delay
Alaska raised age of consent from 16 to 18 after Senate delay sparked public outcry. • Omnibus crime bill also criminalizes AI-generated child abuse images and requires sex offender registration. • New rules make sexual assault by healthcare workers a standalone crime and expand parole board. • Lawmakers worried about compressed timeline but voted yes anyway.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska Energy Conference Highlights Gas Pipeline Progress Amid Legislative Tax Debate
Alaska LNG pipeline signed contracts, targets 2029 delivery, but governor and legislature split on tax framework. • Southcentral consumers could pay $22.96 per thousand cubic feet if exports fail, double current rates. • Federal officials highlighted critical minerals and $1 billion in funding, but permitting takes 15 to 18 years. • Rural Alaska pays $6.63 per gallon with no pipeline relief in sight.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min read
Alaska Senate Passes Education Bill With 4% Property Tax Cap
Senate passed education bill with 4% cap on required local contribution growth, limiting property value increases that shift school funding from state to local governments. • Bill includes energy grants for schools and teacher loan repayment up to $5,000 yearly for STEM and special education teachers. • Cap could cost state $41.6 million by 2035 but prevents districts from losing millions in revenue.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska House passes tobacco age increase, vape tax, cigar lounge exemption
Alaska House passed bill raising tobacco and vape purchase age from 19 to 21, matching federal law. • New statewide tax on vaping products will fund smoking education programs. • Bill includes exemption for premium cigar lounges meeting strict requirements. • Penalties for underage possession lowered to $100 with no court appearance required.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min read
Tuesday, May 19
Alaska House passes commercial-code update for digital assets
Alaska House passed SB 252 unanimously Wednesday, updating state commercial law to cover digital assets like cryptocurrencies and NFTs with clearer rules on ownership and collateral.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min readAbout Alaska State Legislature
Photo by Bernt Rostad, via Flickr · Photo source · CC BY 2.0
akleg.gov ↗120 4th St, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
The Alaska State Legislature is the bicameral body that makes state law and sets the budget for Alaska. Its Senate and House of Representatives meet in Juneau, with much of the work done in committees such as House Finance and Senate Finance and in the Legislative Council.
The Legislature decides the operating and capital budgets, school funding, the Permanent Fund Dividend and oil and gas policy. Recurring questions include taxes on oil and gas, the terms of the proposed Alaska LNG gas line, how much the state pays toward school construction debt, and election and voting law. It also meets in special sessions called outside the regular calendar.
The Legislature works with and against the governor, who proposes bills and can veto spending, and with state agencies that ask lawmakers to change the laws they enforce. Its legislative audit office reviews how state agencies and boards spend money and follow the law.
More from Alaska State Legislature
Alaska Senate adopts final operating, mental health and capital budgets
Alaska Senate passed fiscal year 2027 operating budget on 17-3 vote, balanced at $75 per barrel oil without drawing from savings. • Mental health budget approved 20-0, adding $3.5 million for behavioral health treatment and $500,000 for crisis call center. • Capital budget concurred 18-2, including $32.5 million for University of Alaska deferred maintenance and school and port projects.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Legislature Passes Bill Requiring Home Care Agencies to Fund Workers
Alaska Legislature passed House Bill 96 on May 18, requiring home care agencies to allocate funding to Personal Care Assistants, with the Senate voting 19 to 1. The bill now goes to Governor Dunleavy.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Constituent complaint drives classic car import law through Legislature
Alaska House passed a bill updating classic car import rules to match federal standards, allowing cars 25 years old or older to be registered instead of only pre-1981 models, after a constituent could not register a federally legal vehicle.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Senate panel hears gas line bill with $900M annual tax break
Alaska Senate reviewed gas pipeline bill cutting annual taxes from $1 billion to $74 million. • Developer could earn $5 billion yearly while consumers face gas prices more than double current rates. • Bill includes $50 million construction fund and requires Fairbanks spur line. • Senators questioned if impact funds adequately address community needs.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Senator's Mother Scammed: Personal Loss Drives Crypto Kiosk Bill
Alaska passed SB 249 unanimously to regulate cryptocurrency kiosks after Senator Tilton's mother was scammed. The bill requires fraud warnings, licensing, transaction limits, fee caps, and refunds for proven fraud victims.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Legislature fails to override veto of pension bill
Alaska Legislature fell seven votes short of overriding the governor's veto of a bill that would have restored pension options for public employees and teachers, voting 33-27 when 40 votes were needed.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
House Passes Civics Education Bill After Decade-Long Push
Alaska House passed a civics education bill 37-3 Tuesday, requiring high school students to take a social studies course and pass a civics exam to graduate.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska Senate advances sweeping public safety bill with AI child abuse provisions
Alaska Senate unanimously approved an 80-page public safety bill that criminalizes AI child abuse material and raises age of consent to 18. • The bill expands the parole board from five to seven members and creates new crimes including mail theft and airbag fraud. • It costs $413,400 in startup and ongoing funding and now returns to the House for final approval.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min read
House Finance Committee advances PFD restoration for wrongfully convicted
House Finance Committee advanced a bill to restore Permanent Fund Dividends to Alaskans whose convictions were wrongfully vacated, with a two-year deadline to apply after exoneration.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readAlaska House Passes Baby Box Bill 35-5
Alaska House passed SB 9 on May 19 with a 35-to-5 vote, authorizing baby boxes at hospitals and fire stations where parents can anonymously surrender infants 21 days or younger without legal penalty.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readDunleavy vetoes public pension bill, leaving override as long shot
Governor Dunleavy vetoed legislation that would have reopened a defined benefit pension option for Alaska public employees and teachers, citing fiscal and legal concerns.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska lawmakers review paid parental leave bill funded by payroll taxes
Alaska Senate Finance Committee heard testimony on House Bill 193, which would create 8 to 12 weeks of paid parental leave funded by payroll taxes, with benefits starting January 1, 2030.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska House debates youth vaping penalties amid justice concerns
Alaska House debated whether to remove a $100 civil fine for minors caught with vaping products, with opponents citing research that justice system involvement harms youth outcomes.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
House Finance adds feral cat spay-neuter provisions to invasive species bill
House Finance added feral cat spay-neuter provisions to an invasive species bill in a 9-2 vote, delaying the cat management rules until 2028.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Monday, May 18
Senate panel advances education bill with energy relief, loan program
Alaska Senate Finance Committee advanced a bill providing energy cost relief to school districts and expanding teacher loan repayment programs.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska Senate Passes Statewide Styrofoam Ban for Restaurants
Alaska Senate passed a statewide ban on polystyrene food containers at restaurants, effective January 1, 2027, citing health and environmental concerns.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Senate panel advances gas pipeline tax bill after 36 hearings
Alaska Senate panel advanced a gas pipeline tax bill Monday after 36 hearings, despite senators saying they lack expert information and the governor's administration has offered no support.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
House approves stricter hunting residency rules in divided vote
Alaska House approved stricter hunting and fishing residency rules in a 24-16 vote, requiring 180 days per year in state instead of just maintaining a domicile, effective January 2028.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readHouse Finance advances tobacco age increase, e-cigarette tax on 7-4 vote
House Finance advanced a bill raising the tobacco purchase age to 21 and taxing e-cigarettes at retail, effective July 2026 and July 2027.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min readHouse panel hears bill to restore PFDs for wrongfully convicted Alaskans
A House panel heard testimony on a bill allowing wrongfully convicted Alaskans to reclaim Permanent Fund dividends lost during incarceration, affecting roughly five known cases worth about $107,852.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Senate panel reviews oil tax floor increase projecting $132M annual gain
Senate panel reviewed modeling showing a higher oil tax floor would generate $132 million annually on average, though some years could see revenue decline.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago4 min read
Alaska House panel hears bill to shield ratepayers from data center costs
Alaska House panel heard testimony on a bill requiring data centers to pay for their own transmission infrastructure instead of passing costs to residential ratepayers.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska Legislature Passes Bill Requiring Itemized Student Fee Statements
Alaska Senate passed a bill requiring the University of Alaska to send students itemized fee statements showing exactly what they pay for, heading to the governor.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min readSunday, May 17
Alaska News Roundup: Gas pipeline tax fight, Point Thomson trade-off, and McNeil River access debate
Senate passed gas pipeline tax bill raising oil production tax floor to six percent, drawing industry criticism. • Point Thomson regulators warn blowdown for pipeline risks sixty-five million barrels of condensate. • Mount Edgecumbe enrollment dropped a quarter to three hundred eleven students amid facility and health concerns. • Fish and Game reviews wheeled plane landings at McNeil River bear sanctuary despite conservation objections.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read